Jasmine Turnbull was working in hospitality, but decided to give it up for a career as a plumber – which is where she found her spark.
At 24, she’s a role model for women in trades and was last week named apprentice of the year at the annual TAFE Queensland awards.
There were 37 apprentices selected as finalists from more than 9000 SkillsTech apprentices in 13 categories.
Ms Turnbull said she was proud of her achievement and that she was incredibly grateful to be recognised among so many other worthy finalists.
She said she wanted a hands-on trade outside of an office environment, and was provided an apprenticeship after a work experience stint with her employer.
Ms Turnbull has excelled at her TAFE training, impressing her teachers with a high level of dedication and skill.
She has also become actively involved in a number of TAFE Queensland and National Association for Women in Construction (NAWIC) events where she has acted as a role model for females in trades, sharing her knowledge and experiences to encourage others to pursue a trade career.
Her former plumbing teacher Rachael Keiley nominated Ms Turnbull for the award and said Jasmine is an amazing woman and an inspiration to others females looking to embark on a trade career.
“Jasmine and I do a lot of industry representation together, we go out to different events representing TAFE, the vocational educational and training sector and women in industry,” Ms Keiley said.
“Jasmine has really been a stand out in industry and she’s stepped into multiple opportunities and really embraced being the face of apprenticeships.
“She’s such a down to earth person that has naturally amazing plumbing skills but it goes beyond that, she has confidence in her own skin. She’s also fluent; she can go from one meeting into another, be onsite and be one of the boys whilst also being able to stand in front of customers or clients and represent her employer as a representative of her employer,” she said.
Ms Turnbull said being a plumber was not just a job she could take anywhere, but something which provided her the confidence to achieve her dreams.
“You will be so surprised at how a trade can benefit your life. I’ve gained so much confidence and been able to face fears both in my work and personal life,” she said.
“I’m constantly learning more and getting out of my comfort zone with the trade, so in my normal life, I’ve been able to do that as well.”
